Spring is here 🌼🌷

Hello! Welcome to my newsletter.

In this newsletter I will be sharing with you how I handle everyday life with ADHD, but without ADHD medication. I will share tips, tools and strategies for you to introduce in to your own life so you too can manage your ADHD holistically.

Estimated reading time: 3m35s

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Spring is here! 🌺🌼🌷🐰

Or is it?!

I absolutely love Spring. It’s my favourite time of year for many reasons.

🌞 The sun starts to shine a little bit more

🌼 Beautiful flowers are popping up everywhere, I especially love daffodils

🥚 Easter is just around the corner (I’m only here for the choccy eggs!!)

😎 And my favourite, it means Summer isn’t too far away!

During autumn and winter, as the nights get longer, our circadian rhythms can be disrupted. This can lead to decreased mood, low energy levels and an increased difficulty in concentration. Low serotonin can be to blame for this, as it’s production is heavily influenced by sunlight exposure.

When it’s darker the body produces more melatonin, and whilst it can promote sleep, having too much can make us feel drowsy and less alert during the day. Those of us with ADHD are also more susceptible to developing SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). This is a type of depression which is triggered by seasonal changes, and can make symptoms such as low motivation and fatigue, much worse throughout winter.

But now spring is (almost) here I can already feel the fog lifting, and things are already starting to become so much easier. I absolutely LOVE being outside, so as soon as that sun puts its hat on, I am outside enjoying the fresh air, the breeze, the flowers, nature, wildlife! You name it, I love it. And…. it also means that my ADHD symptoms are starting to improve.

🧠 An increase in daylight hours gives us a natural boost of dopamine production, which gives us more energy, motivation and a real sense of renewal

✔️ It’s a great time to start embedding new habits (such as cold water exposure or meditation)

🌞 More sunlight means more Vitamin D, which is vital for us ADHDers as it positively impacts our mood and energy levels, and also supports brain development and function

🍄‍🟫 It’s also a great time to start getting out and spending more time in nature which has been proven to boost mood and reduce stress

I do acknowledge that things are not always super easy in spring, some of us might start to struggle with allergies, there might be an increase in social demands, sensory overload (I was a little triggered over the weekend when I was in Headingley [student central of Leeds] as it was a really sunny and warm day and the students were out in their 100’s, all in fancy dress, stepping out in to the road not aware of cars, shouting… ewww) but generally, we can definitely start to take advantage of the warmer, sunnier weather.

It was around this time last year that I began to take a daily ice bath. I’d been having cold showers, and the odd wild swim, but we didn’t get our ice bath until the end of March.

I really believe starting the habit around this time, and sticking with it through spring and then through summer, enabled me to keep the habit going through autumn and then winter, when it was cold, dark and quite frankly horrible some of the days.

When I started writing this the sun was shining, the sky was blue. But now it’s grey and miserable. So I guess that answers my first point…. maybe spring is not quite here yet 🤣🤣

What’s your favourite season? Are you a big fan of spring like me? Or maybe you prefer the colder, darker seasons!

Let me know!

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We only have 3 tickets remaining for the next Drug Free ADHD Experience. This is taking place on Sunday 23rd March in The Peak District. Follow this link if you’d like to know more: https://buytickets.at/wildmindswellness/1513532

I hope you find what I write interesting, helpful and sometimes funny! And if you do, I'd love it if you shared what I am saying with others.

I have some spaces available for coaching. If you would like to apply, and get a FREE discovery call, please follow this link: https://app.youform.com/forms/ccaga68h

Carly x